can you truly know without experience?

random thoughts on a tuesday afternoon

I’m sure you’ve all heard the expression “money doesn’t buy happiness” before. In fact, I’d wager that most people in the world have heard this expression and know precisely what it means. I remember hearing it as a child, and the words always pop into my mind whenever I fantasise about being rich. Each word seems to echo in my ears like a drawn out sigh. Despite acquiring this knowledge at a young age, I can’t seem to shake the idea that my life would be better if I was earning more money. All of this has got me thinking, can one truly know without experience?

There are so many instances where we know something to be true, but still crave experiencing it firsthand. Such as travelling for work, becoming famous, having an attractive partner, being invited to exciting events, becoming a successful entrepreneur or artist, and of course, being rich. I know that all of these experiences have downsides.

The person travelling for work reminds you that it’s work, not a vacation. 

The celebrity suffers in silence. 

The person with the attractive partner feels insecure. 

The person who’s always invited to exciting events craves isolation. 

The successful entrepreneur is always stressed. 

The artist is wondering if their next creation will help them pay rent.

The rich man is unhappy.

We’re all able to conceive that there’s a downside to most experiences, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to dissuade us from pursuing it. Despite knowing that money and fame isn’t always a recipe for happiness, we still romanticise what it would be like to possess both. It’s a curious thing.

Humans are obsessed with uncharted territory. We crave experiencing what we do not know firsthand. And as ironic as it may seem, stories about an experience can make the obsession worse. It’s like showing someone a short film of a new and exciting life they’ve never seen, and then promptly turning off the TV, expecting them to go back to their normal, mundane reality. We become no better than a hungry dog salivating over the thought of food after hearing a bell ring. 

There’s something deeply primal about our need to explore. We will not stop fantasising about it until we are there, in the flesh, living the experience ourselves. Even if our expectations are disproportionate, or downright false. Even if we’ve been told it’s not what it’s cut out to be – we need to know for ourselves. 

I don’t think that will ever fade.

No matter how many times we are forewarned that our expectations may be too high or aren’t based in reality, there is a little voice that says “but what if?”.

It is the unknown that intrigues us most.

The desire to open Pandora’s box, even if you know it’s cursed. The desire to travel to a new island, even if there’s a tribe of warriors ready to attack you before your feet touch the sand. The desire to experience being rich, even if it doesn’t heal the pervasive feeling of loneliness that lives in the pit of your stomach.

We simply must experience life for ourselves, even if it kills us.

Perhaps that makes us naive, or perhaps that makes us human.

Until next time,
Plot Collector